Chapter 25
Artie glanced over at the doc. Her normally calm and collected self was gone, in her place was a dumbfounded Vanessa, she was staring intently at the frozen end of the video her eyes conveying pure shock. She looked up at Artie and let out her pent up breath "wow, I thought I would age better than that" she mumbled trying to look anywhere but the 80 year old version of herself. Artie didn't look much better, his eyebrows were trying to escape into his hair and his mouth didn't know the command 'shut'.
Artie sat down in his swivel chair, still staring at the screen, too absorbed in his own thoughts, 'how did bringing Leena back kill so many?' Artie thought pressing the play button again. "Hazel's back!" the older doc repeated before the video ended once more, "Artie we have to ask Hazel what this video means" the doc whispered quietly, unconsciously pulling at her sleeve. Artie grasped the doc's small hand in his and walked them out of the Warehouse.
The doc slid into the passenger side and buckled herself in as Artie started the car, she couldn't believe that she would have lost Artie, the sweet old grump she had fallen for a few years ago, the man that she couldn't live without apparently. Artie turned his head toward the doc and gently kissed her on the forehead "I do love you Vanessa, I have for a very long time; actually… ever since I first saw you walk through that Warehouse door, I knew that you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and it took MacPherson more than a few attempts to stop me staring at you. From then on I wanted nothing more than to take you out of a date but, you know how… skittish I can be" Artie whispered, the doc smiled at his little confession "but you have made me the happiest man in the world and I want nothing more than to wake up in the morning and have you beside me. To bring up that group of insufferable adults like our own and their children as our grandchildren, a big happy family in the middle of desolate South Dakota" Artie chuckled a little at the end of his statement.
The doc pressed her lips gently to Arties, "nothing would make me happier then to have you as mine, to be able to say I love you as myself rather then have ancient me beat me to it" the doc giggled a bit before turning semi-serious "I love you Artie, and our band of insufferable children" she finished smiling at Arties beaming face. He pulled her into a crushing hug, finally knowing that his feelings weren't just one-sided.
He finally let the doc go and pulled the car into gear before slipping his free hand into the doc's grinning like a love sick goon.